


Falters and Falsehoods

by ShadowPaw



Category: Original Work
Genre: F/M, Gay, I Tried, M/M, Original Fiction, Trans Male Character, straight - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-06-02
Updated: 2017-06-04
Packaged: 2018-11-07 22:00:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,702
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11067975
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ShadowPaw/pseuds/ShadowPaw
Summary: Nyx and Camo decide to sneak over the border between the makt land and the human's land. They had been doing this nearly everyday for two years, and thought nothing of it. They hadn't counted on getting caught, as no one does, and they really hadn't counted on getting shot down. As tensions between the two races began to rise again, six people are dragged together by chance. A General of lies, a broken makt girl, a King with secrets, a Queen with an iron fist, a makt who is not who he seems, and a makt who stopped caring. Together, they must save their home and keep each other from falling in the process.





	1. Nyx

**Author's Note:**

> This is an original story. I hope, one day, to turn it into a novel. Comments, please. PLEASE. I need feedback, and criticism. This is a passion of mine, and I want to improve. That being said, I hope you enjoy it.

**Nyx**  

Nyx knew straying across the border and into human territory was the stupidest thing she could do. The uneasy truce that had settled over the land needed far less prompting to be broken. But she was determined to see her little mission through, despite the risks. 

“You’re stupid.” Her brother, Camo, hissed from behind her. His stark white hair flashed like a beacon under the multi-coloured stars and his deep brown skin standing out starkly against the frigid white ground. “An absolute _idiot_. Do you realize the punishment we’ll face if we get caught?” The boy’s eyes flashed a dark red before quickly fading back to their normal, neutral orange. 

“That’s wh-why we’re gonna be caref-ful.” Nyx said calmly. “Like ev-very other t-time.” Her booted feet crunched over the dusting of snow as she glanced up at the long, barbed-wire topped fence. The fence, which the makt had dubbed “The Cruel Shield”, ran for miles and miles in either direction, artificially splitting the country into two. Nyx raised a hand and gently touched her fingers to the chains, feeling the freezing, immovable metal. Every few miles, a Turret Tower fractured the endless links, scanning the ground to search for anyone trying to cross illegally. One of the towers was stationed a little less than a mile to their left. Nyx could see its search light scanning the ground a couple dozen feet from where they stood, illuminating the snow in dazzling flashes of light. Panic crept up Nyx’s throat.  

“Pl-please change your col-lour. W-we’ll be caught…” Her plea was met with a long-suffering sigh. Camo’s unnatural white hair darkened slowly until it was a dark brown and his naturally brown skin faded to a pale peach, making him look exactly like his sister. Nyx gave him a small smile as thanks, and Camo rolled his eyes. 

“I don’t know _why_ I decided to come with you.” He said, clearly annoyed. Nyx began to feel guilty. Had he not wanted to come this time? Had she really forced him to come along, to do something so dangerous he might lose his life? Camo looked at her, lost in her thoughts, his eyes turning a muted violet and softening. At that, all doubt erased cleanly from her mind. 

“B-because you wouldn’t let m-me go alone.” She smiled gently, a bit happy when his eyes turned dark pink and then, immediately, to a dark green. “And, y-you want to see the-em as m-much as I do.” At her final words his eyes turned back to dusky pink and stayed that way. He seemed to hesitate for only a moment, before giving a heavy sigh. 

“Fine. Let’s do this.” He switched to a deep grey. Nyx didn’t like that colour; she had seen it all too often to favour it anymore, but at least it meant that he was ready. She nodded and turned to fully face the fence, flexing her shoulder muscles. It was almost a feeling of relief when she felt two wings slide out from their sheaths on her back. Dragon-fly like in appearance, her wings covered in a fine coating of jewel- pink dust that sparkled as much as the crisp snow. Camo let out a low whistle of appreciation, as if he hadn't seen her wings a million times before. "Nice."  

Nyx smiled and gestured for him to climb onto her back. They had done this once a week for nearly two years, and yet he still hesitated before climbing onto her back. "C-come on." Nyx coaxed. "You kn-know that I can do i-it." With a sigh, Camo wrapped his arms round her neck and jumped, coiling his long legs around her slim waist. Though she knew it was coming, Nyx still stumbled with the heavy weight of her brother, letting out a small groan as she squared her shoulders. 

"You alright?" Camo asked shifting as if willing himself to be as light as possible. Nyx gave a strained nod, biting her lower lip. 

"Y-yes. Please, just h-hurry and do the thing..." The urgency in her small voice left no room for Camo to speak as he shut his eyes. Nyx almost relaxed at the familiar sensation of what felt like lukewarm water dripping down her body as her colours changed to mimic the frosted ground. Nyx looked down, feeling a bit lost when she realized she could no longer tell where she was. It was strange, not being able to see your own body. To feel your heart beating, your pulse racing, but looking down only to see snow and ice. 

"Are you going to stare or are you going to fly over the wall?" Camo snapped in question. Nyx felt her wings spread, then she jumped, beating her paper-thin wings for all she was worth. The feeling of warm water constantly rushed over her as Camo changed their colours quickly to keep them blending in. Nyx detached herself from the feeling, eyeing the barbed wire top.  

The barbed wire was the biggest problem. The fence itself was only around forty feet high, something Nyx could have scaled easily, even with Camo clinging to her back. The wire, however, left far less room for errors. She needed to climb to forty-five feet just to assure herself that she wouldn't dip accidently and slit her belly open. There was a time when Camo had been sick and she had decided to go without him. Without her brother's added weight pressing down on her back, Nyx had grown careless. She had flown too low and gotten her skirt caught on the wire. She had faltered, panicked, and fallen, landing harshly on her head. She had not been quite the same since. 

The wire was a good three feet below them when Nyx finally decided that flying over was safe. She angled her wings and pressed forward, but something was wrong. Camo sucked in a tense breath of panic, and she felt the feeling of warm water wash over her again. He had gotten distracted and forgotten to keep changing their colours. It was a tiny mistake, the smallest of slip-ups, but it was enough. A siren filled the air, singing out that two makt where trying to cross illegally. 

"Shit!" Camo cried, again panicking and causing their camouflage to slip away. A bullet passed right in front of Nyx's nose, and she jerked back, her wings faltering and dropping them dangerously close to the razor wire. "Nyx!" 

"I'm f-fine!" She righted them. The sounds were deafening as two more bullets breezed by them. "W-we have to land! Maybe if we'll l-land they'll-" She did not get to finish her sentence. A bullet went through both of her wings on the up draft, shredding them both. Nyx let loose a scream of pain and fear as they plummeted to the ground on the human side of the fence. Nyx could feel the freezing wind whipping past her face, stealing the air from her lungs. The ground approached and, then, Nyx couldn't feel very much at all.


	2. Monty

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chapter 2. Here comes the General.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello my friends. Chapter two. I have no ideas how many chapters I already have written, but expect one a day for quite a while.

**Monty**  

From his years in the military, Monty had become a very light sleeper; when the siren pierced the air with its loud, low wail of warning, he was sitting up, panic creeping through in veins in waves of adrenaline. Moonlight filtered through the single window in his bedroom, illuminating the wooden walls and floor. Ghastly shadows of night terrors danced teasing along the walls, edging the young man further into a panic. He threw back the covers, and heard a small, fragile whine from his left. The girl, who had been curled up next to him, raised her head sleepily. He watched as her face shifted from sleepiness to fear as the siren gave another low moan. 

Monty stood from the bed and pulled the covers carefully back around the girl. "Stay inside. Stay away from windows. Do not answer the door." He ordered like the former soldier he was, tugging on a crumpled pair of jeans. 

"Monty-" 

"No," He cut her off before she could finish, fishing a white, button-up shirt from a pile on the floor and rushing with the buttons. "You do not leave the house. You do not go near the windows. You do not so much as glance through the keyhole." He grabbed a well-worn brown jacket with a rifle and olive branch over a white background embordered on the left breast pocket. The human coat of arms. He shrugged on the jacket and grabbed his rifle, slinging it over his shoulder. "Do you understand me?" He reached for the doorknob, but a hand on his arm stopped him short. He turned to see his little sister gazing at him, her eyes reflecting the moonlight like shined rubies. Her small shoulders were squared and her tail hung between her legs, the tip brushing the floor. 

"Monty," She said again, her voice firm and unwavering. Trained soldier and member of the Forsvarer, Monty bowed to the smaller girl's whim, looking her in the eyes. "Be safe, please." She concluded, hugging him tightly around his middle, her head resting just under his chest. He hesitated for barely a second before curling his free arm around her. They stayed frozen for a few moments, reluctant to let go, but Monty detached himself from his sister and rested his hands on her shoulders.  

“Stay safe. Be good. I’ll be back.” He watched as her face slid into a cheeky little grin, one that set any nervousness in him at an immediate ease. 

“Yes, General Montgomery.” Her tongue and cheek response was further exaggerated by a roll of those ruby eyes. Monty spared the young girl a stern look before he grabbed a hat perched by the door. A pale beige in colour, the cap bore the human olive branch and riffle. He ran his finger hesitantly around the brim before placing it on his head. 

“And, Azalea,” The red eyed girl gazed up at him. He found himself, as he so commonly was, in awe of her. The delicate tan of her skin, the slight slant of her lava eyes, the dark black fur of her tail and the shock of white that set it apart, the way her slim body managed to fill the space in the room, as if the very air she breathed was larger than life. She had always been big in an unusual way. While his muscular bulk had always filled the room, Azalea filled the room with her presence alone. “I love you.” He said the words quickly, as if they hurt him to speak aloud. Azalea’s face spilt into a wide toothy grin, and his momentary reluctance was worth it. 

“Love you too, Monty.” Her admission looked easy. Monty nodded and opened the door. 

The siren was still crying its soft warning, assuring that the only people out on the cobble stone streets was military personnel, both on and off duty. Hundreds of people in tan uniforms marching like puppets towards the wall. The swarm of drones was watched from the windows of wooden houses by the millions of humans spread across the western side of the country. Of the half million humans who inhabited the western side, over one hundred thousand would rush to the Shield clad in beige tonight as soldiers, as killers. Stripes adorned the sleeves of the uniforms, ranging from one to six. 

Monty with his seven gold-shining stripes stood out as he joined the fray. He glanced at the boy next to him, at the two dull yellow stripes on his sleeves. “What’s going on Private?!” He barked. The man gazed at Monty his eyes wide. Skin crawling at the admiration on the man’s face, Monty again barked, “The hell’s going on, Private?!” 

“O-oh! A couple of illegal makt tried to cross the fence, Sir!” The man saluted, shooting Monty a grin. “Of course, I’m sure those mutants stand no chance against you, right Sir?” A shudder ran through Monty, though he was unsure if it was because of the casual way the man said the slur, or the implication that he would be taking care of them. 

“... Focus on your work, Private.” Monty ordered numbly. The boy immediately looked forward, his face flushed with happiness. Probably thrilled to have spoken to the renowned General Montgomery. Said General, however, could feel the weight of all he had done crawling on his back. He grits his teeth and pressed forward along the streets teaming with beige clad bodies moving as a single-minded creature towards the looming chain link wall. 

Snow had begun to fall in fat flakes long before they reached the fence. Monty had worked his way to the front of the rush, people easily parting for him. A few feet from the fence was a lump covered by a thick layer of snow. A rush of bile filled Monty’s throat as he gazed at the hand he could see, small and pale, poking out of the snow. If the fall hadn’t killed them, hypothermia surely would have by then. Monty knelt by the lump and brushed it off.  

A young girl, not much younger than Azalea, was frozen under the layer. Her pink wings had turned to sheets of ice and her eyes were frozen shut. Pity and regret clawed at the ex-soldier mind as a group gathered around him.  

“Is she dead, General Montgomery, sir?” A voice called out, seeking confirmation.  

“Yes, she’s long dead.” Monty spoke robotically as he gazed at the body. What was a makt girl doing trying to cross the fence alone?  

... Alone... The word snapped Monty’s mind to focus. He turned and glared at the assembled people. Everyone who could see his gaze recoiled. “I was told there were a ‘couple of’ makt. Not just a single girl.” 

“We were too, sir!” A brave man whose voice trembled answered. “The lookouts most likely thought they saw two due to the darkness, sir!” An abnormality out of the corner of his caused Monty to glance to a side. He could make out a few patches where the snow was uneven, dipped into the ground, as if it was covering up footprints. As he nodded to the other ex and current soldiers’ poor explanations, he was filled with a rush of relief. The report had been right, there had been at least one more, and they had gotten away. Monty hoped they got as far as possible from here, hoped they were safe. 

“Sir, I really think we should ask the King and Queen for permission to wage an act of war.” Monty head snapped up fast. 

“... What?” His voice lowered, and several men recoiled, including the commanding officer who was speaking to him. The great General’s anger was not a thing to be taken lightly. 

“I… I just thought, Sir, that we should ask the permission of the King and Queen to wage war on them. The makt have tempted our patients many times, and it’s not as if this peace was really working…” He trailed off as Monty stood and brushed the snow from his pants. 

“We fought for this peace,” Monty began, advancing on the other man. Who, to his credit, held his ground well, even if he was trembling like a child. “We fought for four years. Quite a few men died during those years. This arrangement has only lasted for two years. Are we going to allow a filthy mutant to destroy what we fought so hard to obtain?” The slur scalded his throat as he pictured Azalea, curled up on their bed, waiting for his return. But, he was not Monty, not now. For now, he was General Montgomery, the slaughterer of thousands of makt. To General Montgomery, the slur was nothing but casual. He had to remind himself of his roll. 

“O-Of course not, Sir.” The cowering man confirmed. Monty cast him a cool look, and the man retreated into the crowd. Monty stood up straight and addressed the group. 

“To those among you with some semblance of intelligence in those skulls, you may write to the King and Queen about tightening the Shield’s security! If you gain an audience, be sure to inform me. I will handle the body of the mutant. Now, go! This was a stupid matter to incur the entire goddamn Forsvarer!” The soldiers scattered like insects, finding their way back to their homes, their lives. Monty loomed as they dispersed and, as soon as he was sure the last human had departed, he knelt by the frozen corpse. 

“I’m sorry.” He apologized. An old makt prayer creeping up in his memory. His Maktaan was poor, at best, but the words came easy. “ _To the soul which rests within the earth, and has taken leave of our world, may they find peace and health, placed in the hands of the Angels._ ” He rested his hand on the frozen body. “Find peace.” He murmured, standing up and turning to walk home. He didn’t notice snow jostle and fall from a tree a few yards away. He wasn’t aware of the beige clad person fleeing back to the village. He didn’t know a human had just borne witness to his act of peace.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading. Comments are appreciated beyond words.


	3. Chester

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> New character, the character that is the reason this is rated T and Up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoy.

The smoke in the air spun shapes as it moved lazily around the room. He hadn't smoked, he had given it up years ago, yet his lungs still stung as he breathed out white puffs. His teal eyes slid across the room, sizing up every man that entered the small bar. Getting a customer to agree was not an issue, it was finding one that always gave him trouble.  

  Chester swirled the caramel coloured liquid in his cup, his eyes landing on a tall, human-eques makt with unnaturally pink eyes. His pale blond hair was cut short, spikey. Chester watched him conjure up a blue flame, which wound around his fingers lazily like a snake.  

Perfect. 

Chester downed his cup, slapping down a couple bronze coins on the table. He walked over to the makt, putting a sway in his hips and a bit of extra fluff in his long tail. He slid into the booth next to the man, giving a lazy smile. "Hello there." He purred low in his throat. The man looked startled, and Chester could see the haze over those pretty pink eyes. He was drunk. That would make things easier. 

The makt's startled expression gave way to a smile, his arm coming down easily to rest around Ches's slim shoulders. "Well, hello." The man said. He chuckled slightly, his eyes roaming over Chester's length body. "Where did you come from~?" He spoke in what Chester was sure the man thought was a suggestive tone. It was all Chester could do not to roll his eyes. He, instead, placed a hand on the man's thigh.  

"Does it really matter? I'm here now~" Chester purred, swinging his tail up to rest across the man's lap. Chester watched those hazy pink eyes grow hungry as the tall makt watched his tail graze across his lap.  

"You're a tease." The man breathed, one hand reaching towards Chester. Ever ready to comply with the needs of others, in the back booth of the bar, Chester swung his leg over the man's lap, straddling him easily. The man's hands instinctively fell to rest on Chester's hips. 

"And so what if I am?" Chester purred, winding his arms around the makt's neck like vines, holding him close. "Don't you want someone who's a bit more fun?"  

"Only if I get to take you home." He said it as a joke, Chester could see that. But he could also see the way the makt looked at him, and he knew that maybe it wasn’t entirely a joke. 

"Why not just take me now?" Chester said, his voice low. The man's breath caught and Chester barely suppressed a smirk. "Meet me in the alley behind the bar. I'll be waiting." With that whispered promise, Chester quickly got off the man, making his way out the door. He slunk into the alley behind the bar, knowing the other would soon be out to follow him.  

Chester lazily learned against the brick alley wall, removing the grey cowboy hat from his head. He undid his grey cargo vest, letting it hang off one shoulder. Heavy, drunken footsteps filled his ears and Chester took a deep breath, turning around slowly. "What took you so long?" He purred, taking the hand the blond had reached with and moving himself close. "I was waiting." Chester breathed softly. The makt chuckled softly, grabbing Chester roughly by the waist.  

"Where you, little kitten?" He said gruffly. Chester smiled, moving out of sight of the man and stepping his foot behind the drunken makt's, tripping him. There was a gratifying crack when his head hit the pavement, too drunk to stop himself. Chester scoffed as the makt groaned, getting down on his hands and knees to search the makt for valuables. Between the inebriation and the blow to the head, the makt didn't even try to fight Chester. He just laid there with his eyes darting about as the Chester looted everything he had.  

"You carry quite a bit of money on you..." Chester mumbled, watching as the makt's terrified, un-focused eyes locked on to the spot his voice resonated from. Chester scoffed and slipped the wallet into his own pocket. 

"M-my wallet!" He cried in shock. Chester purloined a watch made of gold and a small book the makt had in his pocket. He stood and checked to make sure the goods were well-hidden before hiding behind a dumpster. He counted to ten before he stepped out again. The makt had rolled over onto his side.  

"Kitten!" He cried to Chester, who rushed over and knelt next to him, helping him sit up. "Kitten, wh-what happened to you? Where were you?" 

"S-someone pushed me away and I fell behind the dumpster." The lie fell easily from Chester's lips as he supported the man. "What happened to you?" 

The makt looked at him with blank pink eyes, his face flushed. "Kitten, some invisible man stole my wallet."

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you, so much, for reading. I would appreciate any feedback at all.


End file.
